doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Stock Maker Engilbert Olafsson

I pulled the stock off another auction acquisition and found the name "E. Olafsson" stamped in the stock. A google search lead me to a very interesting thread from this board a year or so ago -

http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbt...04282c6adf57469

That thread raised some questions in my mind (bottom of the post). This particular rifle is a custom rifle built on a Mauser VZ24 action in 7x57. It is topped with an older Weaver 4x k-1 scope. It is stocked in a really nice piece of walnut. As Schutzenbob mentioned in his DDG thread, the Olaffson stock work is really tremendous with very fine fit and finish. Here are some photos of the gun -

"E. Olafsson" mark -















Schutzenbob mentioned that Olafsson had worked for Weatherby and later had his own shop. He also mentioned he did work for Pachmayr. Can anyone expound on that last piece? According to the the Pachmayr book by Lachuck, Pachmayr had an in-shop team of craftman working under Frank in the later years of the organization. Did Pachmayr also farm out work to local specialists?

Also, does anyone know if Olafsson did metal work as well as stock work?

Any info is much appreciated.

Ken

Ken,

Olafsson or Olaffson?

My mistake - Olafsson is correct.

Ken

- I've corrected it in the original post

Allen screws??

May not be traditional, but less easily buggered up than slotted heads.

I do not seem to have anything on Olafsson and have to wonder if
Engilbert is not a middle name or nickname.

I sent a note to Bob so I hope he can supply more info.

Englibert Olafsson along with Walter Abe did work for Weatherby Rifle Company in South Gate Ca before opening there own shops. Walter Abe shop was located in El Serino on the border of Alhhambra. Englibert Olafsson shop was on 352 w 3rd st Long Beach Ca I visited his shop many times. He was a master gunstock maker at a time when wood was the prefered gunstock material. His stocks were beautiful works of art he had a room full of blanks and as i remember you did not have to take out a second on your house to have a gun made. I have three rifles stocked by him. I did not notice any metal work in his shop at that time in the 70s. Richards micro fit stocks in sunland ca knew Olafsson they may have more info.. TRR

I don't know who engraved that bolt knob but it was done by a master. Probably European trained.

RB

Nice to read this about my uncle Engilbert Marius Olafsson. He passed away on February 18th 1989 after struggling with cancer only 74 years old. He sure was a fine craftsman and i remember watching him work on stocks in my families garage in Kopavogur Iceland when he visited us during summer vacations. He had a very special humor like many other in my family, I heard about an incident he had in LA when there was someone trying to steal his car but did not succeed but dropped his wallet on the car floor, Engilbert found the wallet and returned it to the man with the money that was in it.

Jon Thor Sigurdsson
Iceland

Hello jon

Iceland is not a country that i would normally connect with gunmaking , as you would with britain or germany for instance. Are there any gunmakers in iceland at the moment or has there been any traditionally ?